Roasted Green Beans with Shallots

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This totally delectable roasted green beans recipe is a fresh, modern take on your everyday green beans! This recipe could not be easier to cook on a sheet pan, and gives you perfectly brown and tender beans tangled with caramelized shallots.

These are the roasted green beans I’ve been searching for — tender yet oven-crisp and tasty as all get-out.

I think of this recipe as a welcome alternative to the traditional grandma-style green bean casserole (which can be a bit indulgent, let’s be real). That means a lighter, fresher and more modern way to enjoy green beans.

I’ve been skeptical about roasting green beans because it’s so easy to steam or boil and enjoy them smothered in brown butter.

But my mind is changed forever after tasting how freaking good fresh green beans are when they’re roasted in the oven.

Ingredients you need:

If you’ve been assigned green-bean duty for a Thanksgiving holiday dinner or to bring a side dish to a potluck, you’ll be happy that this recipe has a very short list of ingredients and hardly any prep required.

• Fresh green beans: This dish is ALL about the green beans, so look for perky-looking fresh beans that don’t look old, dry or limp.
• Shallot: This allium adds an elevated touch to just about anything roasted in the oven — the natural sugars in shallots crisp up and caramelize beautifully. Red onion will work if you don’t have a shallot on hand.
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and pepper: I use coarse kosher salt and black peppercorns from a pepper mill.
• Lemon zest: From a fresh lemon.

Chef trick for the best roasted green beans

Roasting vegetables on the bottom rack of the oven is a game-changer.

Here’s what I found during my testing for this recipe —it’s a trick that I learned from a well-known chef’s cookbook. It seems almost too easy, but it works!

Learn the steps

For the best results, use a large (half-sheet) pan and place it on the lowest rack in a hot oven. The green beans will turn out with gorgeous color and concentrated flavor.

The heat near the bottom of the oven is more even and direct, so you get perfect caramelizing on your green beans without overcooking, in a shorter amount of time.

Variations

These green beans taste delicious just as they are, but feel free to get creative! Roasted green beans are versatile so season them as you like. Here are some ideas:

• Parmesan, goat or crumbled feta cheese
• Red chili flakes
• Lemon aioli or lemon mayonnaise
• Sliced toasted almonds (hello green beans almondine!)
• Lightly chopped fresh tender herbs such as parsley, tarragon or chives

Serving ideas

Roasted green beans are a favorite side dish to any hearty meal, or as a simple dinner with assorted vegetables.

I love to serve them with Lemon Roasted Chicken and Olive Oil Mashed Potatoes, Rosemary Brown Sugar Pork Chops or with along with a big bowl of pasta.